Comrade? What's a Comrade?
by HitsugayaLuver8
Summary: I was told by him that a comrade was someone who stood beside you as a friend, and as someone who would do anything to insure your safety and protect you from pain. So...where was his supposed comradery? Oneshot Mostly about Team 7


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A/N: Here's another oneshot, this one revolves mostly around team 7's struggles. It's a bit of a tragedy, but I enjoyed writing it.

**I know I should be updating my other stories, but I just couldn't let this idea pass up so i had to write it.**

**So tell me what you think about it!**

**Read on!!**

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**Comrade? What's a Comrade?**

_I was told by him that a comrade was someone who stood beside you as a friend, and as someone who would do anything to insure your safety and protect you from pain._

_So where was his vow as a comrade then? Where was the friendship that was supposed to protect me from the pain and suffering?_

_The pain and suffering __**he **__caused me!_

_No, he was no comrade…only a traitor disguised as a comrade to fool those who thought he was friend but turned out to be foe._

_What was the point anymore? We tried and tried countless times to resurrect a fake friendship. To bring back that which was impossible from the start. _

_Tears, pain, grief…they were all wasted on him! Everything was wasted on him! And nothing that we gave will ever be returned back to us. All hope is lost towards him, and it was our fault for trying._

_So my question still lingers…_

_What is a comrade?_

* * *

The breeze blew cool and calm air through her long pink tresses. The breeze seemed to always soothe Sakura, even when she was angry. But today, she wasn't angry or sad, just listless.

"Hey Sakura-chan, what you doing all the way out here for?" Naruto came up behind her.

Sakura heard Naruto's calm voice. It seemed to Sakura that ever since Sasuke left Naruto had a kind of calmness to him. Like half of him left and the other boring half decided to stay behind to support the vessel. He is nothing like what the old Naruto used to be, and Sakura noticed the change. The change of what one "friend" could do. Sakura could never imagine what he would be like if she left. Every time they failed to bring him back a part of Naruto would fade.

"The breeze kind of soothes me and gives me a calm quiet place to think, ya know?" She spoke equally calm.

Naruto studied her before sitting next to her on the grass, "Yeah, I know what you mean." There was a long calm pause between the two before he sighed and turned to face Sakura, "Hey Sakura, I was just wondering something…"

"Mmm what?" She asked still looking ahead of her knowing exactly what was coming.

"Maybe…maybe we could try one more time…I mean it couldn't hurt anything…we need to try one more time Sakura," Naruto pleaded.

"No." It was a quick monotone answer.

"One more time Sakura, we need to try…"

"One more time, two more times, it doesn't matter how many times we try Naruto! He isn't coming back!"

"But he's our comrade Sakura; we can't just leave him behind."

"Oh, but its ok for him to leave us behind? He is not our comrade Naruto! He never was!" Sakura spoke in an angry tone.

Naruto looked down at the ground in front of him, "You're right, sorry." He spoke in that calm voice of his again.

Sakura's eyes softened at the tone, "I'm sorry, Naruto, but we have shed too many tears on him before. I don't want to have to see you go through that again. I don't want to see your hopes go up and then fall at a impossible attempt to convince him…I'm sorry Naruto, but…but I can't afford to see you like that again," Sakura explained.

Naruto never lifted his head up to meet her gaze, "I understand Sakura-chan…it was a stupid question…sorry," he said getting up and walking back the way he came.

Sakura turned to watch his retreating form, "Sorry Naruto, but it's impossible…" She turned back around and laid down on the grass.

* * *

_The pain of a brutal impact in battle or the pain of getting sliced with a kunai was nothing compared to the pain of seeing a friend leave you._

_Or the after pain that till lingered._

_Naruto knew it was impossible, but he still tried anyway, even after I had long given up. He continued to move forward and persuade him at any chance he got. _

_But persuasion was not enough when it came to the Uchiha. Nothing was enough, and we only created new pain for us for every time we tried._

_What was it about revenge that caused you to make your friend's hearts bleed, that made you want to leave those that cared behind?_

_What was it that made you want to strip your title as comrade?_

* * *

"Hey! Sakura!"

Ino screamed running up to Sakura, "What is it Ino? I'm kind of busy," Sakura answered.

"Aw you're always busy," Ino said in a pouty voice, "What is it this time?"

"Answer my question first. What did you need Ino?" Sakura asked ignoring her questions.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to go shopping for some clothes. We haven't shopped together in a while."

"I have to work today at the hospital, Ino, sorry," Sakura apologized.

"When aren't you working Sakura? I mean come on! You work almost everyday of your life! What's gotten into you lately, you used to love going shopping and now it's like a taboo for you," Ino snapped.

"I've had a lot on my mind Ino, that's all, now if you please." And with that Sakura turned back around and continued walking.

"If your working has anything to do with Sasuke, Sakura, then you need to let go…he's…he's not coming back Sakura and your grieving over him will not help anything," Ino explained.

Sakura stopped but did not turn around, "If you think this is about Sasuke, it's not."

"Then what is it?"

"Mind your own business Ino, please. This does not concern you," Sakura said calmly.

"Sakura, it concerns me when you are not as you used to be. Now, why won't you tell me!?" Ino asked again.

Sakura quickly spun herself around, "I SAID IT ALREADY, INO! MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" Sakura yelled.

Ino was taken back from Sakura's sudden outburst. Never in her whole life had Sakura ever yelled at her like that, and it surprised her.

"Sorry…Sakura…for asking." Ino turned around and began leaving.

* * *

_Why is it that when a small thing happens, everything big around it begins to change?_

_I should not be letting his departure get to me…but it is._

_It's a horrible feeling to know that he's won, but it's over, Naruto and I can't comprehend it but it's over. We have not relinquished that feeling of sadness towards him._

_And the scary part is…_

_I don't think it will ever fade away._

* * *

"Tsunade-sama! We bring great news!" The ANBU came in reporting.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's the Uchiha, he's sent a message!"

Sakura was all ears at the mention of Sasuke's last name, "What does it say," Sakura asked rather urgently.

Tsunade eyed her student then brought her eyes back to the two ANBU in front of her desk, "Go on, what's the message?"

"It say's that he has succeeded in defeating Itachi and is returning back to Konoha to receive his suitable punishment. He does not want to quarrel when he arrives but rather arrive peacefully and talk to you to figure the situation out."

Tsunade eyed him skeptically then sighed, "You're dismissed." She waved them off.

"Hai milady."

As soon as the door shut Sakura turned to her sensei, "He's actually coming back…for good?"

"It seems like it…Sakura why don't you go tell Naruto the good news, I'm sure it would brighten him up some don't you think?"

"Hai, shishou!"

As Sakura left Tsunade gave out a loud sigh, "Be careful Sakura, I don't think this will turn out the way you want it to."

* * *

_A memory ceasing to fade away has yet again taken another toll on me._

_After so many years of trying, our dream of bringing him back was on a whim. But whether it was out of luck or not we should be happy of this. We should be waiting to celebrate his return…_

_So why do I feel like that isn't going to happen…_

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"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto turned around and smiled, "Hey Sakura, what's up?"

"Naruto, its Sasuke, he's returning, Naruto…he's coming back home," Sakura exclaimed happily.

"When!?" Was all Naruto could get out.

"Sometime today. Tsunade-shishou told me he would be arriving sometime this evening."

"We should be there to greet him when he comes Sakura!" Naruto said happily. "After all our hard work he is finally coming back…see I told you it was possible Sakura-chan!"

"You were right Naruto! Sorry I doubted."

Naruto smile at her and this time…his smile was real.

* * *

_It is so hard to believe something that seems untrue. And this is one._

_Naruto was so happy to find out his friend was coming back, but was I happy?_

_No_

_I, for some reason, was not. _

_It's strange how you could love a man so much that you would be willing to sacrifice your life for him in order to help him get revenge. But that is not the case with him._

_I was willing…but he was not._

_I do not love him anymore and I don't look at him as a comrade anymore either._

_He destroyed that bond once with us, and I have a hard time believing he plans to become one again for good this time._

_Once a traitor always a traitor, and he does not deserve the right to the title "Comrade."_

_He is the one that made me question what true comradery was._

_And I don't think even he knows what the meaning of comrade is._

* * *

Naruto and Sakura decided they would walk to the front of Konoha's gates to meet Sasuke. It seemed like a short walk to Naruto but a long dreaded walk for Sakura. She seemed apposed to the fact that he was coming back, and she did not want to face him.

When they arrived many of Konoha's citizens and ninja were surrounding the gate. "Are we late? Did he already arrive!?" Naruto began asking questions about the site before him.

"I don't know Naruto," Sakura replied.

It was then that Sakura noticed the medic ninjas towards the front of the crowd. "Oh no! Excuse me, please move out of the way," Sakura said while pushing people out of the way to let her through.

Sakura finally got to the front of the crowd, and the sight before her made her want to kneel down and die right there.

"Sakura? What's the matter?" Naruto asked finally getting up to the front to see what happened.

Naruto looked at Sakura and then followed her line of sight towards the thing that made her go stiff.

Of course, at the sight in front of him, the feeling was mutual for Naruto as well.

* * *

_Comrade? Comrade? I still don't understand._

_Apparently he didn't understand either._

_He turned his back on us, his true comrades, and then joined sides with evil, only to have those "so called comrades" turn their backs on him._

_He never was meant, I guess, to ever have a comrade. He really was a true loner, and comrades were really just taboo for him._

_He killed us by breaking our bonds and the bonds he formed with evil…killed him._

* * *

Naruto stood by the stone tablet with Sakura, already having shed his fair share of tears.

Sakura put her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Naruto…I really am…"

"He didn't deserve this…his life was hard and just like that it was taken away from him…he should have had a chance at happiness. We all got a taste of that and it should have been his turn." Naruto began crying again.

Sakura took her hand off his shoulder and hugged him, "I know Naruto…I know."

"Then why? Why didn't he get his chance!?" Naruto said through tears.

"Some things just weren't meant to be…Naruto."

Naruto continued to cry on her shoulder, and Sakura, the one who refused to cry over him again, followed Naruto, soon after.

* * *

_A death too cruel for one who had not witnessed what happiness was like._

_But yet it was his choice to go after that which only brought pain._

_After seeing Naruto and witnessing him cry for someone who has falling in the depths of death, do I now know what comradery truly is._

_And this three man comradery was just never meant to be._

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**A/N: So what'd ya think?? I would love to hear your thoughts about it.**

**Well until next time**

**Ja ne!**


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